A Marion County man has been sentenced to life in prison for raping several children over nearly three decades.
Michael Stith, 51, of Prospect, Ohio, will serve at least 50 years in prison without the possibility of parole. Stith pleaded no contest to five counts of rape of minors under the age of 13.
According to a press statement from Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan, three of the charges stem from crimes that were committed in 1997 and 1998. The remaining two counts are for conduct that occurred in 2013.
Marion County Common Pleas Judge Matthew Frericks found Stith guilty on all five counts. Stith, a former youth leader at his church, used his position to gain the trust of the boys and their families, allowing him to conduct the crimes, according to the release.
“This is one of the worst rape cases I have prosecuted,” Grogan said according to the release. “Stith preyed on multiple boys for nearly 30 years. He should die in prison. If he lives long enough to be considered for parole, the professionals in the Marion County Prosecutor’s office will be there to fight it.”
According to the announcement, the victims, now adults, have agreed to testify in the case. One victim delivered a 30-plus-minute impact statement.
“He described in detail what Stith did to him, calling Stith a ‘monster’ and expressing hope that Stith lives in fear for the rest of his life,” the release stated. “He also spoke about the shame he carried, how difficult it was to come into a courtroom and recount the most intimate details of the sexual abuse, and how he stayed silent for years because he wanted to protect the people he loved.”
Grogan stated that the victims “showed extraordinary courage” in coming forward in this case.
“Child rape victims often remain silent or even initially deny the abuse because of the powerful shame they feel when someone close to them sexually assaults them,” Grogan said. “But we know how to prove these cases and justice ultimately prevails.”